Mitja Vida Bar – Barcelona

My good friend Virginie took me to Mitja Vida for Sunday “aperitivo”. In Spain it is a very old tradition to have vermouth and tapas before lunch during the weekend. You have to bear in mind Spanish lunch time which is between 2 and 3 pm.

The owner is a good friend of a common friend. They took over an old style bar and named it Morro Fi, which became very popular and some time later they opened Mitja Vida.

As we grow older we get to appreciate the old customs and “el aperitivo” is one of them. When I was younger I used to party during the weekend and sleep until late on Sunday. But now I like to think I have became a more selective person who knows to how to enjoy life better. All this to say that because I can’t party that hard I can afford to enjoy the Sunday morning.

Mitja Vida is a very successful endeavor and it’s literally packed. The fun of this is experiencing the heaving bar, drinking some vermouth and enjoying the amazing tapas while standing.

But they have also managed to create a very cool brand. If you look carefully in the pictures you can tell how neat and clean it is (nothing to do with the old traditional Spanish bars). The branding is quite clever and gives a modern touch to a very old product and tradition.

I was told the vermouth is made in Cataluña and bottled especially for them. Alongside this, you can find mussels, chips and many other types of Spanish produce.

Notice the glass full of napkins. This is how it used to be in Spanish bars that were not fancy but “the local bar”

And of course the tapas; the food that everyone identifies as Spanish. They were delicious.

Mussels, olives and chillies with home made crisps.More mussels and vermouth with its orange and olive.Lomo curado (cured pork meat) and bread.The must drink

A very popular product are the foodie packs. They are the perfect gift even if you are buying for yourself. This beauty came all the way to London where I am planning to enjoy a few Spanish “aperitivos”.

There is very good design and branding behind this pack. The labeling, typography and presentation of a very simple product can make it luxurious and cool. Well done!

For more information here is their Blogand website. The website is in Catalan, but you can check the shop under “Botiga”.